A Prayer For Peace
25/12/23 05:11
December 25, 2023 (Vol. 17 No. 53) - The greatest gift the world could receive on this Christmas morning is the gift of peace. However, that is a hope and dream that continues to allude us. From Ukraine to the Gaza Strip to the bullet-riddled streets, shopping malls and schools of our own country, violence continues to reign. Humanity's edges seem frayed this Christmas season. It is not something that has happened overnight. Nor is there a single culprit to blame. But the fact remains that there is discord across the globe that gives rise to warnings of a coming storm. One need not be a Christian on this Christmas morning to embrace its most basic tenants, especially those that teach us to love thy neighbors as ourselves and to pursue righteousness and practice mercy and justice to everyone. Essentially, we are talking about the Golden Rule - do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Unfortunately, we have slipped into a period in which our personal wants, needs and desires take precedence. It is a rebirth of the Gilded Age, a period where the attainment of wealth and power superseded our impulses toward empathy and social justice. One need not be a liberal to voice concern over the emergence of disharmony here and abroad. In fact, this amoral cancer gathering strength should be a prime concern of every conservative. As we move into a new year, one cannot help but fear the prospects for the coming year. There are threats, foreign and domestic, to the American experiment of democracy. Our nation and the guiding principles under which it was founded will be supremely tested during 2024. That is why, on this Christmas morn, one offers a prayer for peace - and not just on the world's too numerous battlefields. May we enjoy a peace of mind that not only brings comfort in the realization of who we are, but also motivates us to become the people and the nation we claim we aspire to be. That's it for now. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And Fear the Turtle.